When Your Body Forces You to Stop: A Burnout Story - 053

Burnout in women, women in STEM wellness, high-achieving women, chronic illness, self-care for leaders, Tree of Life methodology, Restore Workshop, African Women in STEM.In this deeply personal solo episode of Launch with Leaders, ⁠Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ shares her own two-year burnout and health crisis to open a critical conversation about the silent epidemic affecting women in STEM and leadership. She explains how the body keeps score — absorbing years of overwork and microaggressions — until it breaks. Who is this for?This episode is for high-achieving women in STEM, women leaders, and professional women of color who are silently running on empty. It is for those who have normalized burnout, chronic illness, and overextension — and are ready to reclaim their health, energy, and wholeness before reaching the point of no return.Key MomentsAdaeze opens with a raw, personal account of waking up unable to balance, ending up in the ER, and sleeping for four days straight — the moment her body forced her to stop (00:55). She draws on the law of elasticity to explain that high achievers keep stretching until they pass their elastic limit, and there is no going back (13:13). She also addresses the "I have no time" excuse, reframing it as a prioritization problem, not a time problem (11:18). The episode closes with an invitation to the Restore Workshop, a structured immersive virtual experience to help women live well, lead well, and be whole (18:38).Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Welcome to Launch with Leaders.00:55 – Adaeze's personal health crisis: The morning it all stopped.04:17 – The high achiever's trap: Doing too much for too long.07:32 – The unique burden of women in STEM and women of color.08:42 – The Body Keeps Score: How stress lives in the body.11:18 – "I have no time" — reframing the real problem.13:13 – The law of elasticity: Why there's a point of no return.18:38 – Introducing Restore: The virtual wellness workshop.23:15 – How to register and get 10% off with code PODCAST.What is the Restore Workshop? A full-day virtual immersive workshop on June 27, 2026, guided by narrative therapist Ncazelo Ndlovu using the Tree of Life methodology to help women heal and reconnect with their strength.What is the Tree of Life methodology? A globally recognized healing framework used in over 60 countries to support resilience, identity, and recovery from trauma.How do I get a ticket?Visit link.africanwomeninstem.com/Restore and use code PODCAST for 10% off.Do the Time Audit: For two days, write down everything you do and how long it takes. Identify where your time is actually going.Name Your Episodes: If you are experiencing recurring physical symptoms, acknowledge them as signals — not inconveniences — and speak to a doctor.Protect Your Energy: Identify one commitment this week you can reduce or delegate to create space for yourself.Register for Restore: Visit link.africanwomeninstem.com/Restore and use code PODCAST for 10% off the June 27th workshop.Leave a Review: Help other women find this episode by leaving a review on the Launch with Leaders podcast.FAQsResources⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Leadership Edge Diagnostic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Book a Strategy Call with ⁠⁠Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow African Women in STEM on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow African Women in STEM on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the African Women in STEM Membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit the African Women in STEM Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TEDX Talk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠